LTE Standard Related Patents Landscape 1Q 2017

By exploiting a big data patent search and analysis tool - the IPlytics Platform (Ref. https://www.slideshare.net/alexglee/iplytics-platform-introduction), TechIPm, LLC (www.techipm.com) extends its more than 6 years of custom research of LTE patents to include a large number of new candidates for the LTE standard essential patents (SEPs). The IPlytics Platform data sources cover over 80 million patent documents for 98 worldwide countries, over 60 million scientific articles, information regarding over 3 million companies, about 2 million standards documents from 96 standard setting organizations including over 200,000 SEPs declared at the major standard setting organizations (SSOs).

LTE issued patents for the LTE UE (cellular phones, smart phones, PDAs, mobile PCs, etc.), base station (eNB) products, and other RAN (Radio Access Network) related products are searched in the USPTO as of 1Q 2017.  The searched patents are further reviewed with respect to 3GPP Release 10 technical specifications (LTE-Advanced) for LTE RAN technical specifications: PHY: TS 36.101, 211, 212, 213, 305; L2/L3 Protocols: TS 36.300, 304, 321, 322, 323, 331, 355 and 3GPP Release 11 technical specifications for CoMP (TR 36.819), 3GPP Release 12 technical specifications for EPDCCH (TS 36.211, 213) and D2D (Device to Device; TR 36.843) Communications.

The identified LTE standard related patents cover not only ETSI declared SEPs but also candidates for SEPs that were not declared. Nearly 4000 US issued patents are finally selected as the LTE standard related patents. The identified LTE standard related patents are also updated for the current assignees.

The identified LTE standard related patents are further categorize through the evaluation process by technologies for implementations of the LTE baseband modem ( OFDM/OFDMA (Frame & Slot Structure, Modulation), SC-FDMA (PUSCH, PUCCH), Channel Estimation (UL RS, DL RS, CQI), Cell Search & Connection (PRACH, DL SS), MIMO (Transmit Diversity, Spatial Multiplexing), Resource Management (Resource Allocation, Scheduling), Coding (Convolution, Turbo), Power Control, HARQ, Carrier Aggregation, Relay, and Positioning Technology) and radio protocols (Random Access, HARQ, Channel Prioritization, Scheduling (Dynamic, SPS), Protocol Format (PDUs, SDUs), Radio Link Control (ARQ), PDCP Process (SRB, DRB, ROHC), Security (Ciphering, Integrity), System Information, Connection Control, Mobility (Handover, Inter-RAT, Measurements), QoS, MBMS, and Carrier Aggregation). To evaluate the essentiality of a LTE patent, patent disclosures in claims and detail description for each LTE related patent also are compared to the LTE technical specifications.

Leaders in LTE standard related patents IPR ownership as of 1Q 2107 are Qualcomm followed by InterDigital, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Google, Ericsson, Nokia (+ Alcatel-Lucent), Apple, Panasonic, Optis Wireless Technology LLC, Intel, Huawei, NTT Docomo, ZTE, BlackBerry, Amazon, NEC, Texas Instruments, and ETRI. Here, most of Amazon’s LTE patents were acquired from LG Electronics.

For more information, please contact Alex Lee at alexglee@techipm.com .